MILAN, Italy, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Oft-injured former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek won his first indoor match in more than two years Tuesday, posting a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Russia's Nikolay Davydenko in the opening round of the Milan Indoors.
The 31-year-old Dutchman sat out the entire 2001 season with a right elbow injury after years of struggling with bad knees.
Krajicek returned to action on June 17 and reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon one week later. He did not play after the U.S. Open due to a left heel injury.
This year has been better for the player once ranked as high as No. 4. Krajicek opened with a semifinal appearance in Adelaide, where Davydenko captured his first career title. Although the 31-year-old from Rotterdam lost in the second round of the Australian Open two weeks ago, he always is a threat indoors on carpet.
Fourth seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium cruised past Andre Sa of Brazil, 6-4, 6-4. Malisse, who lost in the third round of the Australian Open, will face French qualifier Julien Varlet next. Varlet was a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Feliciano Lopez of Spain.
No. 5 Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia was the only other seeded player in action Tuesday. The 1995 champion dispatched Argentine qualifier Marcelo Charpentier, 6-2, 7-5. Kafelnikov lost in the semifinals here a year ago.
Also, Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia beat Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 7-5, 6-3; France's Anthony Dupuis held off Belarussian Vladimir Voltchkov, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden topped Tomas Zib of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-3, in a battle of qualifiers; and Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands overcame Adrian Voinea of Romania, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4.
